6 brilliant ways to use leftover food instead of throwing it away

If fruit is about to go bad, you can freeze it to save for delicious smoothies.Maria Fuchs via Getty Images

• Americans throw away approximately $165 billion worth of food each year, but there are simple ways to use leftover food.
• Ripe fruit can be frozen to use in smoothies, and leftover veggies can become soups.
• Overripe avocados can be transformed in to delicious chocolate desserts.

Approximately 40% of food in the US goes to waste, whether it's throwing out leftovers, tossing out food that expired, or just not knowing what to do with the remaining ingredients in your fridge.

If wasted food was a country, it would be the third largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world, after the United States and China. And in terms of money, Americans throw away approximately $165 billion worth of food each year.

However, preventing food waste is simple, and you can start saving both food and money with these easy tricks.